River Cruise Basics: Laundry Onboard

We are asked a lot of questions here on River Cruise Advisor, but one that comes up the most frequently pertains to a feature we’d never really given a lot of thought: What onboard laundry services are available?

As it turns out, it’s a simple question that proved remarkably tricky to answer.

Those crisp sheets came clean somehow. Find out if you can do laundry onboard a river cruise. Photo courtesy of Uniworld Boutique River Cruises.

On deep-ocean cruises, laundry is typically offered for a fee. This involves placing your laundry in a bag outside your stateroom for pickup in the early morning. It’s sent to be cleaned and returned the same day or the next afternoon, depending on the services offered (some cruise lines charge extra for same-day return). But oceangoing cruise ships are significantly larger than their river-based counterparts; with extremely strict height and draught conditions to adhere to, river cruise ships have a real juggling act going on behind the scenes as space is at a premium.

What we discovered is that while laundry services are typically offered onboard, drycleaning is not – though you can have your clothes pressed. Do not bring an iron with you; these are a fire hazard and can be confiscated.

Here’s a quick rundown of the current laundry facilities available on each of the major river cruise lines, taken directly from their websites:

AmaWaterways: Laundry services are available on board for a fee. Price lists are available in your stateroom. Please note that clothes cannot be dry cleaned on board.

Avalon Waterways: Laundry service is available on board for a modest fee. Check the price list in your stateroom. Clothes cannot be dry cleaned on board. For safety reasons, we ask that passengers do not iron their clothes in the staterooms as this is a safety hazard; the laundry service will do pressing for a fee.

Scenic Tours:There is not a self-serve laundry facility; however complimentary laundry service is included.

Viking doesn’t have washers and dryers on their river cruises — they have a laundry service, but I’ve never used it, so I don’t know how long it takes or how much it costs.Viking Ocean Cruises, however, have self-service washers and dryers (and irons/ironing boards) on at least two decks (the ones I visited). There is no charge to use them, but you need to purchase laundry soap, fabric softener, etc.

Can’t Find What You Need?

Comparing River Cruise Companies

Most river cruise vessels are the same length, the same width and they have the same number of decks. And many sail the same rivers on similar itineraries. But there are some key differentiators that can make or break your cruise, depending on what's included, and more often, what's not.

How To Choose Your River Cruise

Choosing a river cruise can be a source of consternation, confusion and frustration. In Europe alone there are more than two dozen navigable rivers and canals. Add the confluence of companies offering seemingly similar experiences and you might just end up feeling as though you’re going upriver without a paddle, so to speak.

Price Comparisons

Comparative 2020 pricing for river cruises in similar staterooms across all operators. Broken down by river and region. For comparison purposes, we looked for staterooms of equivalent sizes and features, namely those with French balconies or step-out balconies. Find out what you should be paying (or could be paying) for your river cruise.